sau4 mei4愁眉
Jyutpingsau4 mei4
Yalesàuh mèih
Definition
To knit one's brows, or to have a worried and gloomy expression.
colloquialemotiondescriptions
How it's used
Often used in the four character idiom 愁眉苦臉 to describe someone whose facial expression clearly shows distress or worry. It focuses specifically on the physical manifestation of sadness through the eyebrows and forehead. While it can be used on its own, it is much more common to see it as part of a set phrase in casual conversation.
Examples
Why are you looking so gloomy?
Related words
Common phrases
to have a long face or look miserable
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a verb meaning to worry, but it is primarily a descriptive state of one's face. You cannot say I am愁眉 someone, as it describes the appearance of the brows rather than the act of worrying itself.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
